EPONYMIC TERMS IN MORPHOLOGY OF HUMAN HEAD AND NECK STRUCTURES

Abstract

Introduction. In the morphological sciences (human anatomy, clinical, topographic and pathological anatomy, histology, embryology, cytology, etc.), eponyms have been used for a long time. Experts apply eponymous terms, which contribute to the professional development of healthcare professionals, enrich their intellectual background, because an eponym comprises a piece of history and culture that have been created from the earliest times. Therefore, investigating eponyms in the medicine domain is of great cultural and professional importance. The purpose of this study is to elucidate the origin of eponyms relating to musculo-fascial structures of the human head and neck, and to obtain more information about the scientists whose names were given to certain terms through bibliographic analysis of the literature. Materials and methods. The methodology included general philosophical and general scientific research methods: dialectical, historical-chronological, bibliographic-descriptive, analytical, etc. Results and conclusions. The study of the eponymic terms contribute to the medical science by presenting the names of not only those scientists who are still remaining in the memory of grateful descendants, but also those who contributed to science, and then were undeservedly forgotten. Eponyms allow one to navigate the history of medical science, especially over the period of discoveries and detailed studies of anatomical structures. On the one hand, a certain national flavour of the subject is rendered by the eponym, on the other hand, one can conduct an important and necessary excursion into the history of medicine; also, unusual and non-standard eponyms can facilitate memorization of the subject.